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A Dream for a Future with Alternative Energy
"America has become a vassal state to OPEC. Our military men and women are offered as a serf army to the OPEC nations. We use billions of US tax dollars and the blood of our soldiers to preserve the power of these unpopular governments. Wind...
Global Dumbing?
I am beginning to wonder if scientists have been getting it all round. All this time, people have been worried about the Ozone, a giant asteroid, or some breakout of a bio-hazardous agent by a terrorist organization being the doom of mankind. We...
How You Can Give Better Holiday Gifts AND Be More Environmentally Friendly
It's the holiday shopping season, and Grinning Planet would like to point out that the holiday phrase "Ho, ho, ho!" also relates to being green--it's the Jolly Green Giant's tagline. Well, OK, that doesn't exactly get us to the "eco-friendly"...
When Asphalt and Dinosaurs Roamed the Earth
You may not be aware of it but a part of the highways and
parking lots that you drive your car into may have been around
for millions of years! Those roadways and pavements'
considerable history can be attributed to one if its key
component -...
Wind Turbines - Hardvest the Wind
Wind is produced from the uneven heating of the atmosphere and
irregularities in the earth's surface. The air movement between
these areas is what we refer to as wind. Just as we can use
flowing water to turn turbines, we can harness the power of...
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Saving Money by Saving Electicity
Are you aware of how much electricity you consume every day?
With the rising price of fuel, energy costs are on the rise. And
yet, electricity is still one of the most wasted forms of energy
on the planet. There are many ways to save electricity, and with
it, money. There are simple things you can do, ones that require
a little more effort, and then there are choices you can make
while shopping that can reduce your kilowatt-hours. By following
just a few of these steps, you can take control of your energy
use and see a real difference in your electric bill.
Level One - Simple and Easy
The items in Level One are simple, straightforward, and take
less than five minutes to do.
Learn to turn off the lights when you leave a room. It doesn't
seem like a big deal, but your average light bulb is one of your
biggest power-wasters. You can see a significant difference in
your bill by making sure that unnecessary lights are off. You
might even consider looking at the light-bulb shopping points in
Level Three.
Another great way to save on power with lights is by using
sunlight as much as you can. Opening your curtains or blinds and
turning the electric lamps off will not only save electricity,
but give better light in most cases.
If you have an electric air conditioner or heater, shut it off
or turn it down when you leave. Why waste energy and money
heating or cooling an empty home? You can also turn these down
when you go to sleep. Thermostats with built-in timers help
here, but you can do this just as easily with a manual one.
Also, always turn off fans - ceiling or otherwise - when you
leave the room. They don't actually reduce the temperature in
the room; the moving air only feels cooler against your skin. So
if you're not there to enjoy the breeze, turn it off.
Level Two - More Power to You
Level Two consists of actions that may take an extra few
minutes or half hour to do, but can save quite a bit more.
Find all the electronics in your house that have a big
transformer, or "wall-wart." Almost all of these devices have
what's called a phantom load; they use up to 80% of normal power
even when turned off. TVs and stereos in particular are big
drains. Be particularly wary of devices who have remotes, or
whose manual refers to being off as "stand-by" or "sleep mode."
If you don't want to unplug these devices every time you finish
using them, a power strip or light-switch-controlled outlet can
be an easier option. Flip a switch and save money.
The biggest power-waster in your home is likely an iron or hair
drier. Converting electricity to heat is among the most
inefficient processes
in everyday use. The solution is simple -
reduce your use. Ironing all your clothes at once keeps you from
heating up the iron several times. Towel-dry your hair as much
as possible; the power drain of a hair drier is enormous. Space
heaters are also electricity-wasters, so keeping their use down
will also help.
Level Three - Shop Smart
Level Three consists of things to consider when buying
electrical appliances in order to save money long-term.
Almost any electrical appliance will fall into the wall-wart
category described above. Most of them have labels on the box
with how much power they consume. If this rating isn't given in
watts, arithmetic can help: Power (watts) = current (amps) x
voltage (volts). So if your appliance's wall-wart says "Output:
12V, 1.5A", then it will require 12 x 1.5 = 18 watts. The lower
the wattage, the lower your bill will be.
When buying light bulbs, consider switching to compact
fluorescent bulbs. These new bulbs will use less power and last
much longer, resulting in a double savings.
If you're buying a stereo, television or something else that
has a "memory," see if you can find one that will keep its
settings when unplugged, so you don't have to decide between
reprogramming every day or paying more for electricity.
When buying audio equipment, the current fad is to get the
loudest, most powerful stereo or set of speakers you can afford.
Yet in most cases, using this device at more than 1/3 of maximum
volume will result in the police knocking on your door. Also,
the bigger speakers use more electricity; the idea is to reduce
your wattage, not increase it. Buy a reasonable system and save
money both up front and on your power bill.
When buying a monitor for your computer or a television, know
that liquid crystal (LCD) screens use significantly less power
than the Cathode Ray Tube ones of old. Also, a smaller display
uses less power, so choose only as big as you need, and you'll
save a great deal.
The generation of electricity is a high-pollution industry.
Anything that saves electricity helps reduce that pollution
while saving you money. These ideas are just a few of the many
ways in which you can help the environment and your wallet.
About the author:
Juan Anselmo Borla is a freelance writer and poet. He lives at
Dancing Rabbit, a
sustainable ecovillage in northeast Missouri. There, he hopes to
make the world a better place by using his Chemical Engineering
degree to develop an alternative fuels program. His fiancee and
two cats hope he doesn't blow himself up in the process. He can
be reached at jaborla[at]gmail[dot]com
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